Conveying apparatus.



Md. 630,80l. Patented Aug. 8, [899.

v E. s. DECKER.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

(Applicatioh filed. Dec. 21, 1898. Banawed July 17, 1899.)

2 Sheets$heat L.

Patented Aug. 8,1899.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN S. DECKER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE STEEL CABLEENGINEERING COMPANY, OF MAINE.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 630,801, dated August8, 1899.

Application filed December 21,1896. Renewed July 17, 1899. Serial No.724,139. (N model-l To who? it y 6971/0677 view of the parts shown inFig. 2, and Fig. 4

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. DECKER, a is an enlarged andpartially-broken-away side subjectof the Queen of GreatBritain,residingelevation of a bracket and its supportingat Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State frame.

5 of Massachusetts, have invented an Improve- In the present embodimentof my invention 5 5 ment in Conveying Apparatus, (for which suitabletracks A A form the upper and lower Letters Patent have been granted inGreat runs,acarrying ordrivingwheel 1), preferably Britain, No. 4,189,dated February 16, 1897; made as as a sprocket-Wheel, being mounted inFrance, No. 264,167, dated February 18, on a suitable shaft b at theupper portion of to 1897; in Germany, No. 95,513, dated Februeach end,onlyonebeinghereinshown. There 60 ary 20, 1897, and in Belgium, No.126,455, are two such wheels at each end of the run, one dated February19, 1897,) of which the folfor each of the two lines of sprocket-chains,lowing description, in connection with the acthe buckets being suspendedbetween the companying drawings, is a specification, like chains andpassingbetween the wheels.

letters on the drawings representing like I have herein shown the linksd arranged'65 parts. in parallel pairs, connected at their ends by Thisinvention has for its object the prorods or shafts 0?, which extendacross from duction of a novel and simple conveyer parone to the otherline of sprocket-chains, the ticularly adapted for use in connectionwith links and their connecting transverse pivot endless conveyers forhandling grain, coal, members constituting bucket-frames. and the like.The buckets are of the class Each frame is preferably provided with fourtermed gravity-buckets, each pivotally carrying-wheels cl, two at eachside, flanged, mounted to swing about an axis substantially as hereinshown, and mounted on the pivot at right angles to the direction oftravel of the members (I and held in place between the 2 5 bucket, andsaid buckets are maintained by pairs of links d bysuitable collarsor'washers gravity in load-retaining or upright position 61 said wheelstraveling upon the tracks or until positively tipped by suitable meansfor runs A A and supporting the frames in trandischarge. sit. The saidwheels, as herein shown, enter In loading the moving buckets from afixed the gaps of the sprocket-wheels b when pass 30 point means must beprovided to prevent the ing around the latter. 8o escape of materialthrough the clearance- Referring now to the construction, which Iopenings between adjacent buckets, and vahave selected for illustrationand description rious devices have heretofore been constructas oneconvenient embodiment of my imed for such purpose. proved overhangingform of overlapping de- 5 My invention comprehends'overlapping device,as best shown in Fig. 3, the pivot',1nemvices mounted on the bucketconnections and hers or shafts (Z are enlarged at (1 inside ofoverhanging the openings between two adjathe lines of links to supporthollow sleeves cent buckets, said devices being located out (1,surrounding the shafts between the lines of alinement with the axes ofthe buckets or of the links and forming overlapping mem- 0 in differentplanes, whereby the adjacent bers, which overhang the spaces or openings0 buckets when they swing in rounding corners between adjacent'bucketswhen in loadiugpoin the run or in unloading can freely pass by sition,as will more fully appear hereinafter. said overlapping devices. By theconstruction described the shafts d Figure 1, in side elevation andpartially may be made comparatively small in diame- 5 broken out, showsa sufficient portion of a ter, while the effective size of the overlapis 5 conveyer embodying my invention to be unreadily attained by thesleeve of considerably derstood, the tracks or rails being partlyomitgreater diameter. ted. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional de- Ihave herein shown ears or hangers fon tail taken on the line :0 as, Fig.1, looking to the inner links of each pair and rigidly se- 50 the left.Fig. 3 is also an enlarged top or plan 1 cured to them both by suitablebolts f, said too ears or hangers extending beyond the plane of theframe and located midway between the pivotal connecting members (1 Eachhanger has projecting inwardly therefrom a hub or boss provided with ashort stud f on which are loosely hung the buckets H, providedexternally at each side, above the center of gravity, with brackets h,having outwardly-extended fi-shaped bearings h to receive the studs fretained therein by suitable means, as cotter-pins IV, the faces of thebearings being held from undue lateral movement by the hub portions ofthe hangers f. The brackets are thus pivotally mounted in the frames toswing about axes substantially at right angles to the direction oftravel, said axes being out of alinement with the pivotal connectingmembers cl The bottom and ends of each bucket are curved, preferably, ina circular are having the stud f as its center and of such a radius thatthe bucket can freely pass by the overlapping device cl when the bucketswings on its axes on the turns in the run. This relative movement ofthe bucket and overlapping device without interference is made possiblein the instance illustrated by locating the bucket-axis out of alinementwith the pivot members d at each end of the frame, so that while thebuckets are on the lower run the overlapping devices will overhang theopenings between adjacent buckets, the bucket ends being quite closetogether; but the connected series of buckets will pass around the turnsat the ends without obstruction.

It will be obvious that the requisite difference of alinement betweenthe overhanging overlapping devices and the bucket-axes may be securedin other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown a curved guide-railD at the lowerturn,two such guiderails being located beneath a sprocket-wheel b and insidethe path of the connected series of buckets, the carrying-wheels cl asthey leave the downward run engaging and traveling around theguide-rails until said wheels pass onto the lower runs A, it beingsupposed that the direction of travel is indicated by arrows 25. It willbe seen that while the links 01 gradually change from horizontal tovertical position, or vice versa, the buckets retain their uprightposition, and in such change of position of the links the bucket endswill pass freely by the overlapping devices described.

To tip the buckets at the proper time, and thereby discharge theircontents, I have provided herein a stand or trip M, Fig. 1, below theupper track or run A in the path of movement of a suitable projection orroller 77. on one side of each bucket below and in advance of its pivot,said roll during the travel of the bucket engaging the vertical edge mof the trip. This retards the onward movement of that part of thebucket, tipping it, so that by the time the roll 7L5 rises from the edgem to the horizontal or dwell portion m the bucket will be tippedsufficiently to discharge its contents. From the dwell the tripgradually slopes or inclines downward, as at 111. permitting the bucketto resume its normal position by degrees and without undue shock.

A suitable hopper F receives the contents of the buckets as they aredumped one after another.

It sometimes happens that the bucket,from unequal loading, will tipenough to raise the roll h above the trip M, and to prevent this I makeuse of a leveling device. (Shown also in Fig. 1.) Each bucket on itsopposite side, back of and below its center and preferably somewhatabove the roll h is provided with a second roll h, which in the progressof the bucket travels up the inclined surface 7?. of the leveling deviceN and onto its horizontal surface a. This latter surface is at'such aheight that it insures the depression of the tripping-roll 7? cominginto engagement with the trip along its edge m, and the surface a" is ofsufficient length to retain the bucket level until such engagement iseffected.

By varying the length of the dwell m of the trip the length of timeduring which the buckets are in discharging position may be regulated asdesired.

The buckets are fed or loaded continuously as they pass beneath themouth of a suitable hopper G, Fig. 1, and at such time the overlappingdevices not only cover the openings between adjacent buckets, but theconvex surfaces of said'devices direct the material to the buckets infront and rear thereof.

It will be noticed in Fig. 1 that while the links are reversed inposition on the upper and lower runs the buckets will at all times hangfreely suspended in retaining position except when positively tipped todischarge.

I have not herein claimed, broadly, a series of connected bucketsprovided with overlapping devices movably connected with the buckets toclose the openings between adjacent buckets, as such constructionisbroadly claimed in another application, Serial No. 557,068, filed by meJuly 25, 1895.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of, the class described, a bucket-frame provided atopposite sides with carrying-wheels, and bucket-supporting axes beyondthe plane of said frame and substantially parallel to the axes of thecarryingwheels, and a bucket pivotally mounted on said axes,substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a series ofpivotally-connected bucket-frames, carrying wheels at opposite sides ofeach frame, bucket supports mounted on said frames substantially atright angles to the line of travel of the buckets and beyond the pivotalconnections of the frames, buckets arranged in the respective frames toswing about said supports, and means to tip the moving buckets,substantially as described.

In an apparatus of the class described, a series of connected bucketsarranged to swing on axes transverse to the line of travel of thebuckets, combined with overlapping devices overhanging the openingsbetween adjacent buckets when in loading position and supported abovethe axes of the buckets and independent of the latter by the connectionstherebetween, substantially as de scribed.

a. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with aplurality of frames pivotally connected at their ends, andbucketsupports on said frames and out of alinement with the pivotalconnections of the frames, of buckets mounted to normally swing on saidsupports below said frames and at right angles to the line of travel,the pivotally-connected portions of the frames extending transverselyabove and closing the openings between adjacent buckets at such time,substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a series of buckets eachpivoted transversely to the direction of its line of travel, the bottomand ends of said buckets being concentrio to their axes, and convexoverlapping devices overhanging the openings between adjacent buckets,said devices permitting movement of the buckets past them when tiltedupon their axes, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a series of connectedbuckets, and supporting-pivots therefor on the bucket connections, eachbucket having a movement for discharging about said pivots, the latterbeing substantially transverse to the direction of travel of the bucketsand out of alinement with the connections therebetween, substantially asdescribed.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a series of connected bucketshaving a discharging movement about pivots substantially transverse tothe direction of travel of the buckets, said buckets being normallyactuated by gravity and held therebyin retaining position,bucket-supporting pivots carried by the bucket connections, means to actupon the moving buckets and successively tip them upon their pivots fordischarge, and overlapping devices mounted on the bucket connections tooverhang the openings between adjacent buckets when in loading position,the bucket-pivots and overlapping devices occupying different planes,substantially as described.

8. In a conveyer, the combination with a plurality of bucket-framescomprising side members, and transversely-extended pivot connections attheir ends, and bucket-supports on the side members parallel to saidpivot connections, of buckets mounted to swing on said supports belowthe plane of the pivot connections when in loading position, the saidconnections at such time overlapping the openings between adjacentbuckets and being movable relatively thereto, toenable the buckets topass by said connections and remain upright when rounding curves in therun, substantially as described.

9. In a conveyer, the combination with a plurality of bucket-framescomprising side members, transversely-extended pivot members connectingthe ends of the frames, and bucket-supports on said frames parallel toand out of alinement with said pivot members, of buckets pivotallymounted on said supports, and sleeves mounted 011 the said pivot membersand overlapping the openings between adjacent buckets when the latterare in loading position, substantially as described.

lO. In a conveyer, a series of connected buckets arranged on axestransverse to the line of travel of the buckets, and overlapping devicesoverhanging the openings between adjacent buckets When the latter are inloading position,said devices being at such times supported in a planeabove the axes of the buckets by the bucket connections, combined withmeans to trip the buckets for discharge, and independent means toproperly present the buckets to the tripping means, substantially asdescribed.

11. In an apparatus of the class described, a series of bucket-frames,comprising side links and transverse pivot members, bucketsupports onthe side links, and buckets arranged in said frames to swing on saidsupports about axes substantially at right angles to the line of travelof the buckets, and located beyond the planes of the respective frames,the transverse pivot members connecting the side links of adjacentframes and adapted to overhang the openings between adj acent bucketswhen the latter are in loading position, relative angular movement of aframe and its bucket permitting the latter to freely pass the transversepivot members,substantially as described.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, a series of pivotallyconnected buckets, bucket-supports on the connections and upon which thebuckets are arranged to swing on axes transverse to the line of travelthereof, the axes of the buckets when in loading position being belowthe path of the bucket connections, whereby the intervening pivotsoverlap the openings between adjacent buckets, substantially asdescribed.

13. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with aplurality of side members,and transverse connecting-pivots at theirends, to form bucket-frames, of swinging buckets,and pivotal supportstherefor mountbe below the said line in the lower run, and above theline in the upper run.

'16. The combination in an endless-chain pivoted bucket-conveyer, oflinks having arms projecting at an angle to the bodyof the link, withbuckets pivoted to said arms In testimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification in the presence of twosnbscribing Witnesses.

EDWIN s. DECKER;

\Vitnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, JOHN COUPER EDwARDs.

